This Oct. 15, 2013, photo, shows a view of the US Capitol building at dusk in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

(Newser)
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It is hard to get 91% of Americans to agree on anything, but this is nearing unanimous: Congress stinks. Gallup's latest poll pegs Congress' approval rating at 9%, the lowest mark in the 39-year history of Gallup. The number brings 2013's average to 14%, which would be an all-time annual low. It's worth noting that while the number is historically low for Gallup, it's right in line with the other numbers in Real Clear Politics' polling average, and far from the lowest any poll has recorded. An AP-GfK poll from the first week of the government shutdown came in with just a 5% approval rating. As we've noted in the past, this puts Congress somewhere south of torture and Paris Hilton.

President Obama's numbers look delightful by comparison—Gallup gives him a 56% approval rating—but he did take some hits in the character departments. For the first time, less than half of Americans believe he's a "strong and decisive leader," with the number dipping from 53% in September to 47% now. He's also dropped five points in the "honest and trustworthy" category, to 55%.

Congress does what it suppose to, making sure we have America tomorrow.

Who_Cares

Nov 13, 2013 9:15 PM CST

39 year low? Says who the liberals living on welfare? They do exactly what they should protect the working American people.

oldgoat

Nov 13, 2013 6:26 PM CST

So they are making a big deal out of Obama's approval rating sinking, but the talking heads fail to usually say anything about Congress approval rating or the approval rating of the R's and D's in Congress. If either one had Obama's rating they'd be dancing in the aisles.